West Deptford High School football team looking to defend Group II title

View full sizeStaff photo by Lori M. Nichols/ The Gloucester County TimesGerard Owens carries the ball, West Depford High School football practice, Wednesday, August 22, 2012. (Staff Photo by Lori M. Nichols/Gloucester County Times)

“I think the backfield is great,” said quarterback Alex Hilbmann. “We have G (Gerald) Owens (formerly Gerald Towns) as a fullback who exploded last year. We have Connor Smith, a senior who’s experienced at back and we have Josh Cornelius. He’s coming off an injury, so we’re hoping he’ll be back and OK to keep our backfield as great as it is.

“It’s hard to replace the kids we lost last year in that senior class, but we have spots filled where we needed them filled. We feel great and we look great, so we’re excited.”

Smith said having three options in the backfield is an obvious benefit as teams should struggle as usual with guessing who’s going to get the carry on any given play.

“I think it’s good,” Smith said. “Teams won’t really know where we’re going to go. We have outside threats and pretty much anywhere else you can think of. It’s nice to have options.”

Hilbmann, a senior, said he’s ready to take over for Jake Hannan, who was the starter for two-plus years.

“There’s pressure coming in for Jake Hannan who started a couple years and won the championship last year,” Hilbmann admitted. “There’s a lot of pressure there, but I’m excited and I have a lot of confidence in our team.

“I feel really confident at quarterback. I’ve been there since I came into the program for high school. I know the plays and I know how to be a leader for this team, so I’m excited.”

Head coach Clyde Folsom said at an early preseason practice that he wasn’t very confident in the team at that point when it came to the work ethic of his players. But Hilbmann and Smith are ready to defend their Group II title and have plenty of confidence they’ll get the chance.

“I think there’s momentum because we’re hungry for another championship,” Hilbmann said. “We want to keep going and we know there’s a target on us and we’re going to keep working hard to get to the championship again.”

Added Smith: “Every day I think it’s getting better. We’re starting to work harder. In the beginning we just weren’t getting enthused. People are flying around now and we’re just trying to put the team together.”